Retailers have a lot to be thankful for with the creation of clothing security. Since clothing was made and sold, the sellers have been looking for ways to better provide clothing security.

The 20th century saw the creation of clothing security tags, a feature used by many retailers to protect their merchandise and their profits from the qualms of potential shoplifters. Security tags on clothes are straight forward and offer no disguise, simply stating to the would- be- thief, “We are protection!”

A business partner of a local store owner was worried that his store would suffer the negative effects of shoplifting, but didn’t think clothing security tags were the solution. This guy believed the key to boosting his profits was through the direct apprehension of shoplifters. Although this method helps, it doesn’t prevent the theft from occurring. What he didn’t understand was the proactive approach a clothing security program, like security tags on clothes, offers.

It took a team of professional to make this business partner understand the benefits of clothing security tags and what could be done to help him protect his profits. Hearing the team speak of positive profits was proof enough that this clothing security plan would work and agreed to implement a program. First, he was shown a clothing alarm. The clothing alarm was attached directly to the garment. He was asked to try and defeat it. In his efforts, he was not able to. He then agreed to install the clothing alarm on several items throughout his store as a test. As time went on, he realized what his store had been missing, a good security program.

Retailers certainly do have a lot to be thankful for, because without the advent of items like the clothing alarm, clothing business could not survive.

It is truly an inspirational sight. When a clothing alarm activates and scares off the thief. Sometimes, when I visit stores, I’ll take a few minutes to listen and watch for an activated clothing alarm.

Clothing security has always been of huge importance to me. Both from a loss prevention viewpoint and as a store manager, I wanted clothing security. Nothing made me go crazy more than walking into a store and seeing an empty display shelf or rounder missing a large section of clothing to theft. Working in the retail industry, and more specifically, the clothing industry has shown me just how ruthless some thieves can be.

The introduction of security tags on clothes was probably one of the greatest gains in clothing security. Years before clothing security tags were rolled out, many retailers used old cables and sometimes chains to keep their high value merchandise in the stores. What an inconvenience those things turned out to be! I remember trying on a leather jacket with this clumsy, tangled mess of security cable attached. As a customer, I was done. Security tags on clothes took away that mess and allowed the store to protect their merchandise and keep the merchandise accessible to the customer… the best of both.

A sporting goods store I once worked for had rolled out security tags on clothes on some new, high risk merchandise. Before the roll out, it was anticipated that unprotected, the merchandise would experience high loss. The store manager decided prior to attaching the clothing security tags, he would put out some merchandise and see what happens. Sure enough, the manager put out two sections of the high risk items and before he left for the day, an entire display was gone, and not by sales. After that, he never put high value merchandise on the salesfloor without the protection of security tags on clothes.